Safety device fob oil



w. K. BASSFORD. SAFETY DEVICE FOR OIL HEATERS AND LAMPS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT! 15, 1921 Patented Sept. 5, 192 2.

IN l/EN TOR II IFHWMMW 41 l A I ATTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 5, 1922.

UNITED ISTATES WILLIAM x. tenssronn, or nnrucnnn, nnwsnnsnv.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR OIL HEATERS AND LAMPS.

Application filedfictober 15, 1921. Serial No. 507,865.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, NILLTAM K. BASSFORD, acitizen of the United States, anda resident of Metuchen, in the county ofxMiddlesex and State of New Jersey, have in'vented new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Oil Heaters and Lamps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates in general to safety devices for liquid fuel heaters and lamps and more particularly to devices of the character described in United States Patent No. 1,343,217 dated June 15, 1920, which will immediately extinguish the flame of a heater or lamp in case the same is tipped over, or becomes overheated, so as to prevent. the fuel reservoir from catching fire or exploding. The objects of the invention are to provide a device of the character described embodying novel features whereby a substantially air tight chamber will be formed about the flame of a heater or lamp to immediately extinguish the flame when the heater or lamp is tipped over, or

the heat produced by the same reaches a.

the said member by fusible fastening means such as rivets or solder, whereby the said. weights will be knocked out of said pockets.

when the heater is tipped over and said fusible pockets or their fastening means will be melted to disconnect the pockets from the said extinguishing member to allow the weights to drop therefrom when the heater becomes overheated so as to release the extinguishingmember into operative position to extinguish the flame; to provide novel brackets or pockets to support said weights on the extinguishing member, and to obtain other results and advantages as may be brought out inthe following description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals of reference indicate the same parts throughout the several'views, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through the lower portion'of a conventional oil heater showing oneembodiment of the around the exterior of the wick tube C above invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

of construction p.

'ther modified form of a weight supporting Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional View through oneside of the extinguishing ring and one of the weight supporting brackets taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Figure 4: is a detached front elevation of one of the brackets;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional View through one end of one of the pockets taken on the line5-5 of Fig. 2;

Figure 6 is a detached front elevation of a modified form of pocket;

Figure 7, is a transverse sectional view taken on the line r'-7 of Fig. 6;.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Fig. 6, showing a further modified construction of pocket; I

Figure 9 is a view similar to Fig. 5 of the pocket illustrated in Fig. 8; I

Figure 10 is a top plan view of a furbracket, and

Figure 11 is a side elevation of the bracket shown in Fig. 10 showing a weight mounted thereon. I For the purpose of illustration, I have shown the invention in connection with a conventional oil heater comprising a base A which removably receives and supports the ,oil reservoir B. A vertically disposed annular wick tube C iscarried by the'oil reservoirB and receives an annular wlck D which projects" downwardly into the reser- 'voir B into the oil, conventional wick adjusting means being indicated at E. A

hollow air and flame spreading member F is fitted loosely within the center of the annulariwick tube so as to allow air to pass: upwardly into the burner to produce proper combustion, said member F being provided with a flame spreading flange G which surrounds the member F and lies over the top of the wick D, a series of air holes H being I I arranged between this flange G and a simi lar flange'I arranged above the flange G to further spread the flame andenhance combustion. A casing K is mounted upon the base A and encloses the burner in the usual manner. The construction of the 011 heater is conventional and no claim is laid to it.

The invention comprises a flame extinguishing ring or snuffer 1 whichfits loosely the top of the oil reservoir B, and is adapted to slide longitudinally of the wick tube.v

The top of the extinguishing ring '1 is normally just below the top edge of the wick top so as not to interfere with the flame, and is normally held in this position. by plu rality of preferably circular weights 2 loosely mounted in pockets or brackets 3 secured radially upon the exterior of the extinguishing ring, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The weights are identical in size, so as to balance on the ring 1, and their combined weight is just s'uflicient to hold the extinguishing ring 1 below the top edge of the wick tube against the action or a light, coil spring l, which is interposed between the ring 1 and the top of the oil reservoir B. It will thus be obvious that the weights 2 are removed or knocked from the pockets or brackets 3 as by tipping over the oil heater, the spring- 4 will immediately force the extinguishing ring; upwardly. The upward movement oi. the ring 1 is stopped by a cap ring- 5 which is secured to and surrounds the member F of the burner above the flame spreading; flange l. the said cap ring 5 being formed in two semicircular sec-v tions 5 having upturned ends 6 which are connected by bolts 7 so that the cap ring can be quickly and easily applied to the member E The width oi? the extinguishing" ring 1 is such that when it engages the ca ring 5 the extinguishing ring bridges and guishing ring. It will thus be seen that a substantially air tight chamber is formed above 'the wick between the extinguishing);

ring 1 and the member it so that there is insu'lllcient air tifor combustion. and the e2;--

tinguishing ring i will be pos tivelyheld against the cap ring 5 b; the spring 4: soas to maintain the closer chamber until all flame is extineuished. The flame is thus quickly exting been tipped over or dropped there is no danger ot the oil in the reservoir catching;

fire qr exploding. i

in l igures 1--5 inclusive 1 have shown one form of pocket tor supporting: the weights i which consists of a strip of sheet metal having the ends 8 thereo'l adapted to be secured to the extinguishing ring; and the -in-- erniediateportion thereof bent outwardly at substantially right angles at both ends as indicated at 9 to form an ollset portion which provides a space between the extinguishing ring and thepocket to loosely reisheth and it the heater has.

forming the pockets of 'lusiblc metal which.

will melt at a predetermined temperature, or forming the pockets of: an intusible metal and securing the same to the extinguishing ring by means of fusible rivets 11 or fusible solder. l l hen the pockets are formed oi? fusible metal, the metal itself may be fused in spots at the ends of the pockets to secure the pocket to the extinguishing ring.

Figures 6 andv 7 illustrate a. modified form of pocket- 12 which comprises a strip oil? sheet metal having its ends bent at substantially right angles as at 13 and an inturnedtongue 14 substantially centrally of the body pen tion oi the pocket which serves to support a weight 52 and prevent the same from falling through the pocket. As above described the pocket may be formed of tt'usible metal. or the edge of the end portions 13 may; be soldered to the rin as shown in Figure 7. The lower portion of the ends are cut away at 120 and the tongue l l is ot a length to engage the outer beveled side of a weight so that when the heater reaches a predetermined temperature and the solder or the pocket begins to melt, the beveled side of the weight as the weight i'alls tends to push the pocket outwardly trom the extinguishing member, the cut away portion 120 deflecting the pocket away from the spring l to prevent cntangi'ling of the pocket in the spring.

ii 't-urt her ,nioiilitied term of pocket is shownzin Figures 8 and-9 similar to the construction shown in Figures 4 and eX- cent that the lower ed 'e of the outwardl i bent portions 15 are slitted as at 16, and

tongues 17 between the slits bent inwardly :to support a weight 2.

lfiieures 1O and 11 show a bracket for sup porting a weight 2- con prising av base 18 adapted to be secured to the extinguishing ring l and formed with an outwardly projecting and upwardly extending hook 19 which is adapted to support a weight. The. weight for use in connection with this torm ot bracket would be vformedwith anopening 20 in the edge thereof which would loosely fit over the end ot the hook 19, as shown in Figure 11.

With this constructionit will be observed that theloose mounting of the weights in the pockets or brackets ensures the weights fall- 111g out oft-he pockets when the heater is tipped over, thereby allowingfthe spring 4 to actuatethe extingushing, ring upwardly against the cap ring 5 to extinguish the l'lilnl i. Then the heater becomes overheated the fusible pockets or their fusible fastening means securing them i to the' extinguishing ring, willbe melted, thereby allowing the weights to drop from the extinguishing ring and permitting the spring to actuate the exwhen construed in the light of the prior art.

Having thus described the invention, What I claim is: p i l. The combination with a liquid fuel heater or lamp, of an extinguishing member,

means for actuating said extinguishing member to extinguish the flame of the heater,

means for holding said extinguishing inember normally in inoperative position against the action of said actuating means, and means including a fusible element for connecting said holding means to the extinguishing member so that when the heater reaches a predetermined temperature said fusible element will melt and release said extinguishmg member from said holding means to permit said actuating means to move said extinguishing member to extinguish the flame.

2. The combination with a liquid fuel heater or lamp of an extinguishing member, means for actuating said extinguishing member to extinguish the flame of the heater, a weight for holding said extinguishing member normally in inoperative position against the action of said actuating means, and means including a fusible element for mounting said weight on the extinguishing member so that when the heater reaches a predetermined temperature said fusible element will melt and release said weight from the extinguishing member to permit said actuating means to move said extinguishing member to extinguish the flame.

3. The combination with a liquid fuel heater or lamp of an extinguishing mem ber, means for actuating said extinguishing member to extinguish the flame of the heater,

a weight for holding said extinguishing member normally in inoperative position against the action of. said actuating means, and a support for said weight secured to said extinguishing member by fusible fas-- tening means.

4. The combination with a liquid fuel heater or lamp of an extinguishing member,

means for actuating said extinguishing member to extinguish the flame of the heater, a weight for holding said extinguishing membernormally in inoperative position against the action of said actuating means, and a 'tlie heater.

8. The combination with a liquid fuel fusible support for said weight secured to said extinguishing member.

5. The combination with a liquid fuel heater or lamp ofian. extinguishing member, means for actuating said extinguishing member to extinguish the flame of the heater,a

Weight for holding said extinguishing member normally in inoperative position against the action ofsaid actuating means, and a support secured to said extinguishing member by fusible fastening means to loosely receive said 'weightso that the weight is displaced from said support when the heater is tipped over and the support is disconnected from said extinguishing member to release said weight when said fusible fastening means is melted.

6. The combination with a liquid fuel heater or lamp of an extinguishing member, means for actuating said extinguishing memberto extinguish theflame of the heater, a weight for holding said extinguishing member, normally in inoperative position against the action of said actuating means, and a fusible support secured to saidextinguishing member to loosely receive said weightso that said weight'is displaced from said support 'when the heater is upset or when said support is melted by a predetermined degree of heat in the heater.

7. The combination with a liquid fuel heater or lamp, of an extinguishing member, means for actuating said extinguishing member to extinguish the flame of the heater, a weight for holding said extinguishing member normally in inoperative position against the action of said actuating means, and a fusible support secured to said extinguishing member to receive saidweight, said support permitting said weight to fall from the extinguishing member when said supportis melted-by apredetermined temperature in heater or lamp of an extinguishing member, means for actuatingsaid extinguishing memher to extinguishtheflame of the heater, a weight for holding said extinguishing member normally in inoperative posit-ion against the action of said actuating means, and a pocket meniber comprising a strip of-sheet metal. having its endsadapted to be secured to said extinguishing member and itsintermediate portion offset from said extinguishing member to receive said weight in the space between said offset portion and said extinguishing member.

9Q The combination with a liquid fuel heater or lamp of an extinguishing member, means for actuating said extinguishing memher to extinguish the flame of theheater, a

weight for holding said extinguishing member normally in inoperative position against the action of said actuating means, and a pocket member comprising a strip of sheet metal having its ends adapted to be secured. to said extinguishing member and its intermediate portion. offset from said extinguishing member to receive said weight in the space between said offset portion and said extinguishing member, the said offset portion being formed with an inwardly extending projection to be loosely engaged by said weight to hold the same in said pocket so that the weight will be displaced from said pocket when the heater is tipped over.

10. The combination with a liquid fuel heater or lamp of an extinguishing member, means for actuating said extinguishing member to extinguish the flame of the heater, a weight member having a beveled edge tor holding said extinguishing member normally in inoperative position against the action of said actuating means and a pocket member comprising a strip oi? sheet metal having its ends adapted to be secured to said extinguishingmember and its intermediate portion offset from said ends to form a space between said intermediate portion and said extinguishing member to loosely receive said weight said intermediate portion being formed with an inward projection to engage said beveled side of the weight member, whereby thesaid beveled side of the weight tends to force said pocket member away from said extinguishing member.

away .troi'n said extinguishing member so as to deflect said pocket member outwardly when said itusible solder melts and the pocket member falls.

12. The combination with a liquid fuel heater or lamp, oi an extinguishing member, means for actuating said extinguishing mem her to extinguish the flame of the heater, a weight for holding said extinguishing member normally in inoperative position against the action of said actuating means, and a pocket member comprising a strip of sheet -metal having its ends secured by a fusible element to said extinguishing member and its intermediate portion offset from said extinguishing member to receive said weight in the space between said oiiset portion and said extinguishing member.

Wn'jLiAM K. nassronn. 

